Category Archives: United States Brewpubs

INDUSTRIAL ARTS BREWING COMPANY – GARNERVILLE

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GARNERVILLE, NEW YORK

Formerly occupying a sprawling pre-Civil War complex with brick archways, nestled alleyways and prominent smokestack, INDUSTRIAL ARTS original brewery then became home to Round Table Brewery while Industrial Arts now operates in Beacon. Pouring popular statewide IPA-dominated beers since 2016, this glorified microbrewery continues to grow in popularity.

GARNERVILLE REVIEW

Inside a rustic white-tiled warehouse, Industrial Art’s large brew tanks dominate the brew room. A red brick-arched serving station featured a dozen handcrafted draughts.

I grab a community bench at the Edison light-strung paved atrium on a warm Saturday at noon, October ’21, to consume three previously untried beers.

Crisp Octoberfest, Autumn Landscape, let peated Vienna malting and leafy hop foliage secure its vodka-nipped orange zesting and honeyed apricot-peach wisps.

Effervescent yellow-orange fruiting settled alongside sweet mossy dew contrasting parched woodiness of Segal Extra Pale Ale, an otherwise crusty breaded moderation.

Piney orange-peeled grapefruit rind bittering stayed zestfully clean and briskly assertive for Bru 1 (No Haze), a Northwest-styled IPA with floral-spiced herbage and dry sawdust remnant.

 

TREE HOUSE BREWING COMPANY – CHARLTON

Order Beer! — Tree House Brewing Company

CHARLTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Occupying a cavernous nouveau Industrial black-glassed professional complex in the wooded hills of countrified Massachusetts township, Charlton (an hour west of Boston), TREE HOUSE BREWING COMPANY has become one of the most vital and successful brewpub destinations in America, selling its brews in-house only at the top-selling taproom in the country (as of 2021).

Now with expansive locations in Deerfield and Sandwich (Cape Cod) as well as Woodstock, Connecticut, the independently owned business originally came to fruition when three challenging homebrewing pals decided to turn a red barn at nearby Brimfield into a small batch brewery in 2011. Since then, Tree House has concocted hundreds of superior recipes, many leaning on the robust, full-bodied, frothily creamed, dark side.

The pine-wooded 50,000 square-foot interior at this Adirondack-styled 100-acre brewing manor in Charlton is awe-inspiring with its Cathedral-ceilinged wood expanse, enormous exposed pipes, spacious bark-paneled serving stations, abundant community tables, epoxy-floored illumination and exemplary beers.

A centralized copper top bar with wood plank walling and a fantasy mural served a myriad of mostly complex hybrids and barrel-aged serums. For Octoberfest, the smaller side bar offered one-gallon mugs of German pilsners/lagers.

During my two-hour journey, I sat inside at the middle couched lounge, then the large hearth-warmed benched pavilion, sipping five exceptional, well-rounded brews with wife and dog during September ’21.Tree House Brewery, United States, Massachusetts, Charlton | BrewCruizer

Musty earthen German pilsner, Trail, combined astringent corn-dried vegetal herbage with muskily grassed Noble hop floral daubs and a splash of lemon above a biscuity grain base.

Effervescent golden yellow hazed Green, a moderate-bodied ‘cross-continental’ IPA, gave its sharp lemony grapefruit-orange bittering, candied pineapple tartness and tangy tangerine tinge a mild piney hop pungency above earthen mineral graining.

Like a wondrous fruited gumball, King Julius Peach, a vibrant golden-hazed Imperial IPA, rang out with luxurious peach tanginess gaining vanilla-creamed marshmallow sweetness, a fine Julius offshoot with tertiary fig-dried apricot tartness and pina colada-like cocktail sugaring contrasting sedate pine lacquered grapefruit bittering in a peachy summertime setting.

Bright ambrosial fruited NEIPA, Doubleganger, let marshmallow-puffed vanilla creaming absorb zesty pineapple, peach, tangerine and mandarin tropicalia as well as tart mango-salted lemon meringue liming above dank piney-hopped orange rind bittering for a splendid milkshake-like dessert.

Creamily molasses-smoked brown chocolate syruping draped the caramelized coffee sweetness and fudgy toffee-spiced nuttiness lifting That’s What She Said above most of its heralded milk stout competition, leaving mild oak-charred hop resin in its lactic mochaccino wake.

TREE HOUSE BREWING COMPANY – SOUTH DEERFIELD

Tree House Brewery | Craft Beer in South Deerfield, MA

SOUTH DEERFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

Just off Route 5 in Western Massachusetts, South Deerfield’s TREE HOUSE BREWING COMPANY is an expansive 100,000 square-foot “on the fly” pub taking the pressure off of its two initial sites at Sandwich and Charlton. Including a large taproom, restaurant and patio area, this professional red brick Industrial warehouse in the shadow of pastoral Mount Sugarloaf opened September, ’21.

Though I visited beforehand in July (to buy beers to go) prior to the Grand Opening, its pickup service has been incredibly busy. I discovered several impressively decadent and creamily thick Double Shot variants here, including the original coffee-enriched Quadruple Shot, QS Peanut Butter Banana, QS Peanut Butter Coconut and Cold Brew Stout plus Coco King Double IPA, Vanilla Bean Catharsis, Persevere Imperial Stout, Love Imperial Stout, Impermanence Milk Stout, Fudge Milk Stout and Tree Of Life bourbon-aged barleywine (all reviewed in Beer Index).

ALTRUIST BREWING COMPANY

New England microbreweries

STURBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

Round back of an old industrial red brick warehouse, ALTRUIST BREWING COMPANY came to fruition January 2018. A rustic hideaway with a dank cement-floored, wood-ceilinged interior and community-tabled front patio, Altruist brewmaster Bob Bixby and his assisting son, Cam, craft mostly well-rounded one-off brews maximizing flavor profiles.

The homespun nanobrewery features a 14-seat L-shaped bar (including 12-plus tap handles with a reclaimed wood backdrop), left side seating and a small front stage. On my initial September ’21 Saturday evening stopover, I downed all seven available brews (skipping the Ginger Hibiscus Kombucha Tea).

New England microbreweries

Dry white-wheated lemony grapefruit spicing graced Pucker, an expansive Berliner Weisse with delicate cinnamon-spiced vanilla sweetness, musty salted herbal licks and vodka-nipped peach/pineapple remnant.

Pink Himalayan-salted Passion Gose let lemon-pitted strawberry-kiwi souring reach lightly vinous white grape esters.

Sharp-spiced autumnal, Pumpkin PI, let mild cinnamon-nutmeg seasoning seep into the brown-sugared pumpkin pie crusting, leaving phenol esters upon the piquant gourd finish.

Lemon-oiled tangerine tanginess sufficed for Single hop With Galaxy, a lightly salted NEIPA with dry wood tones.

Smooth coffee-roasted Force On Nitro Oatmeal Coffee Stout gained dry wood-burnt nuttiness and hop-charred mocha luster above maple oats.

Like a Black Forest cake, Fiske Ale brought cherry-bruised dark chocolate to the fore as red grape-jammed cocoa nibs secured the backend.

PB&J knockoff, Sassy Cassie Stout, allowed black grape bluster to storm dark cocoa-syruped peanut buttering and moderate charcoal-singed hop bittering.

REDEMPTION ROCK BREWING

Redemption Rock is Official Craft Brewery of POW!WOW!Worcester

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

On Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street main drag in an old-styled Coca-Cola warehouse, REDEMPTION ROCK BREWING, not only offers fine beers, but also home-brewed coffee, snacks and apparel since January ’19. Head brewer Greg Carlson’s elixirs satiate “casual fans, traditionalists and experimentalists.” As a proud Certified Benefit Corporation, the cafe-styled pub provides local charity services as well.

A baby blue Redemption Rock insignia welcomes patrons to the side entrance. An enclosed deck at the overhead door features a closed-in picnic area (with turf-fielded summertime plastic furnishings and ). Inside, the immaculate cement-floored brewing cafe offers casual splendor as its comfy couched area, community-benched midst and cozy lunchroom atmosphere capture the eye.

The blue-tiled tap handles at the eight-seat back bar served the seven sundry suds I’d thoroughly enjoy this beautifully sunny Saturday at noon, September ’21.

Redemption Rock Brewing - Home | Facebook

Since autumn was upon us, Thackery Oktoberfest let leafy hop foliage leave dewy splendor on the mild spiced apple sweetness contrasting desiccated orange souring and wispy black peppering.

Zingy orange-oiled banana and clove sweetness faded a tad for Edelstein, a slightly divergent hefeweizen engaging fungi herbal yeast funk and floral lemon licks to its pilsner-malted French breaded bottom.

Wildflower-honeyed unripe peach souring received gently creamed wheat sweetness for Yass, Honey!, a peachy weissbier with dried apricot, musty plum and waxed crayon snips.

The One With Coconuts, a demurely coconut-toasted cream ale, stayed mild as oaken vanilla-daubed pilsner malting bordered mild grassy hop astringency.

Flagship New England IPA, War Castle, retained juicy floral-daubed citrus zesting as mellow crystal malt creaming sweetened its tangy orange-tangerine-clementine combo to contrast waxy grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering and resinous piney hops in a clean cucumber-watered setting.

Nitrogenated Irish-styled Blackstone Stout plied freeze-dried coffee, dark chocolate and espresso tones to an oncoming walnut, Brazil nut and macadamia nut influence blackened by its charred hop residue.

Black grape, black cherry and blackberry fruiting guided Dark & Sunny Tropical Stout, tossing dark chocolate-draped Blackstrap molasses and dark-roast peanuts at charcoal-stained hop bittering.    

BAY STATE BREWERY & TAP ROOM

Tap Room - Bay State Brewing Company

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

Right in the heart of Worcester’s bustling Canal District alongside the minor league ballpark, retail shops and restaurants lies BAY STATE BREWERY & TAP ROOM, an enormous publick house in a modern entertainment complex with two hockey rinks and sufficient game room. A grey-bricked orange-topped facility, Bay State’s large L-shaped bar services the Industrial designed high-ceilinged tap room featuring several community tables, twelve tap lines and an overhead garage door leading to a front benched deck.

Opened since January 2020, Bay State’s entrepreneurial homebrew-schooled owners, Chip Jarry and Shawn Rice, create ‘distinctive small batch lagers and ales’ in the 10-barrel brewhouse that used to be Nonna’s Pizza. Originally occupying a smaller nearby Leicester space, Jarry & Rice complement their variegated beers with a worthy pub menu (wings-hummus-nachos-soup-salad).

My wife and I settle in at the front deck to consume a classic hefe and a Belgian tripel on a warm September afternoon, ’21. I also bought Blood Orange Lager, Kelley Double IPA, Becky Likes The Smell Double IPA and Velvet Revoluce Black Lager (all reviewed in the Beer Index) for home consumption.

An expectant banana-clove sweetness gained a mild lemon twist for Cuttyhunk Hefeweizen, an herbal-licked summertime moderation with sourbread wheat base.

Creamy caramelization coated the candi-sugared plum, prune and raisin dalliance plus perfumed orange sweetness of Tripel Trap, a Noble-hopped pilsner malted Belgian blonde ale.

HUDSON ALE WORKS

Hudson Ale Works - It's almost that time. Our deck is ready and we are  super excited to welcome you back this weekend! We will be serving a  shortened food menu but

HIGHLAND, NEW YORK

A cavernous cement-floored tavern with industrial wood-metal furnishings, recycled pallet-wood backdrops and a concrete slate-topped serving station boasting 14-plus homemade draughts, HUDSON ALE WORKS opened in 2016. Local garage-brewing Highland natives, Josh Zimmerman, Neil Trapani and Adam Trapani, took a dilapidated 7,500 square-foot machine shop and turned the rustic corrugated steel-roofed spot into a snazzy l’il pub celebrating “Industrial life with a trendy low-key vibe.”

A right side tabled section with lacquered bark counter opposes the small bar area and the overhead-doored, white cement-walled far right area leads to a back lounge lodging two picnic tables, wicker seating and a huge TV. A picnic-tabled front deck offers further seating. Nano brew tanks are stored at the rear.

Alongside an array of approachable brews, Hudson Ale Works also serves fine wines, meads and cider.

I discovered thirteen Hudson brews on my sunny noontime Saturday journey, late September ’21.

Hudson Ale Works - Home | Facebook

Smoothly crisp gold-cleared Czech lager, Swillsner, drew herbed corn-maize rusticity to dry lemon rind bittering above biscuity pilsner malting.

Crisp Hawzen Bavarian Lager let sweet leafed dewy mossing address spiced tea-like herbage and dry red-orange fruiting.

Banana-chipped clove spicing and orange oiled tartness grazed the whiskeyed wheat malts pacifying How Sweet Wit Is, a slightly divergent dryer witbier.

Orange-dried fungi musk and mild earthen truffle pungency gained sweetly spiced pale malt alacrity for Highland Helles.

Cloudily faded golden-hued moderation, Citra Session IPA, brought lemon-pitted grapefruit bittering to dry herbal whims, picking up subtle mandarin orange, pineapple and mango tropicalia.

Over a richer pale malt setting, the dual-hopped version, Citra Mosaic IPA, retained a steadfast lemony grapefruit-orange tang and sly wood-toned niche.

Earthy herbal tea bittering sedately crept thru sessionable dry-hopped Gnpwdr Green Tea IPA, a pasty pale malted green-black tea derivative.

Lactose Hazy Boi, a dry Nelson Sauvin-hopped NEIPA infused with pineapple, left a zesty grapefruit bittering upon the salty pineapple tang fortified by oats-flaked wheat malting. 

Soft papaya pureed tartness bowed to citrus-juiced hop acidity above wet grain musk for Sour Boi, a lactobacillus-soured hazy IPA offshoot.

Lemon-juiced lime salting catapulted tequila-barreled Century Plant Gose, a pleasingly puckered agave-daubed aluminum-yellowed cocktail.

Oaken cherry tartness and tannic green grape esters induced Pucker Up Flemish Sour, leaving pleasantly peculiar charcoal soot on its piquant gooseberry pucker.

Coriander-spiced orange zesting engaged gentle honeyed oats malting for Trappist Punk, a modest Belgian-styled tripel.

Confectionery chocolate-kissed raspberry tartness and sweetly sour bruised black cherry tang rode atop the lightly embittered hop char of Raspberry Vanilla Stout, a wispily vanilla-creamed cocoa-forward dessert with latent blackberry-jammed red grape esters.

RIVER OUTPOST BREWING CO.

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PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK

Occupying a multi-functional food and entertainment event space on the Hudson River one mile South of landmark Peekskill Brewery, RIVER OUTPOST BREWING COMPANY has been operating inside the red brick high-ceilinged Factoria warehouse since February ’18. Funded by nearby Captain Lawrence, this gargantuan indoor/outdoor pub only distributes its beers onsite.

Before becoming a pilot brewer of sour ales and barrel-aged beer at Captain Lawrence, University of Vermont alumni Mc Lean Cheney proved his wares as a beverage industry consultant, earning his wings at Colorado’s Aspen Brewing before he and his chef-wife moved back to his home state of Jersey, landing a gig as head brewer for Connecticut’s Half Full – crafting their award-winning Bright Ale. It wasn’t long ’til Cheney got promoted from Captain Lawrence to man the tall glass-enclosed stainless steel tanks at independent offshoot, River Outpost.

A spacious indoor-outdoor complex, River Outpost’s rectangular tiki bar services the ample blue umbrella-shaded deck and the stage-bound bench-tabled picnic area. Inside, the all-encompassing cement-floored gallery features a wood-lacquered 12-seat bar (with eight-plus taps and 3 TV’s), spread-out wood tabled dining, a big game room, axe throwing section, billiard table and small couched lounge.

Cheney’s four IPA’s, three lagers and one sour ale stay within stylistic range, but each bring out a unique aspect just beyond the boundaries. Try the raw bar, hearth-fired pizza or sandwiches and burgers to chase down the delightful suds.

My wife and I arrived on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, late September ’21, to consume all eight homemade brews.

Crisp aluminum-yellowed light-bodied mainstay, Cool Hands Lager, let corn-dried cereal graining scour sour lemondrop dollop, vegetal celery watering and wispy herbal snips. The perfect alternative for light mainstream Bud-Coors-Miller thirsts.

Rich brown-cleared amber lager, Festbier Skill, coalesced crusty chocolate breading with earthen truffle, dewy fungi, spiced dried fruiting and leafy hop foliage, slightly furthering its stylistic flavor parameters.

Dark chocolate-roasted ice coffee tones led Uno Mano Fuerte Black Lager, bringing mild peppery heat to the backend.

Straightforward Canoe IPA brought lemony yellow grapefruit sunshine and mandarin orange zesting to herbal wood tones in crisp fashion.

Clean Norwegian Kveik yeast brightened the modest lemon-peeled grapefruit bittering and zesty orange tang of Banjo Juice Kveik IPA, a mildly piney hopped moderation.

Another smooth crystalline watered moderation, Hazy Bae NEIPA, scattered lemon zest, orange marmalade, tart passionfruit and tangy papaya alongside mild vanilla yogurt souring above an oated wheat base.

Flagship NEIPA, Skillbilly, let limey grapefruit souring, candied orange and tangy tangerine pick up salty herbal peppering and minor pine tones.

“Seductive’ Pink Lacey Sour Ale allowed lactose-milked souring to seep into salted raspberry puree and ancillary passionfruit-guava tartness over silken oats.

After Mc Lean departed for Five Dimes Brewery in Westwood, NJ, I revisited July ’22 on a sweltering Sunday to try six more River Outpost brews.

Stylishly dryer and slightly hoppier, Pop Off Wit allowed grassy herbage and barnyard funk to penetrate its subtler orange peeled coriander expectancy.

Also dryer than its usual style, Itchy Bon Saison, let acrid farmhouse leathering soak up the laidback fennel-tinged dried fruit spicing.

Placing herbal lemon musk and dry hay-like graining across the sweet fruited malt plain gave Timp Torne Maibock a balanced blend.

Salty coriander-seeded lemon lime souring engaged white peach-pureed Peg Leg Peach Gose, finishing with a slightly acidic candied peach tartness.

Sessionable Cabin Boy IPA let lemony orange tanginess plus mild mango-pear-cantaloupe snips receive grassy pine hop astringency.

Amber grain toasting fortified the Citra-hopped fruiting of High Tor Red IPA, leaving lemony orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess and spicy pineapple tartness upon sugared pale malts.

BULL N BEAR BREWERY

Bull N Bear Brewery (Summit) - 2021 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go  (with Photos) - Tripadvisor  Bull n Bear Brewery | Delicious Craft Beer | Brewery In Summit, NJ

SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY

Launched in December ’20, Summit’s BULL N BEAR BREWERY holds its own with formidable local competitors Trap Rock, Twin Elephant, Untied and Lions Roar. Utilizing a rear-stationed 10-barrel steam system with a reverse osmosis water filter adding a clean finish to each tidy elixir, this tavern-like downtown pub creates crushable stylistic fare.

Founding owner Will Dodge, a Belgian beer lover, teamed up with head brewer Mike Formisano, a nationally recognized award-winning home brewer leaning towards traditional German and English styled brews, to solidify the menu at this cozy gray-walled Central Jersey hotspot.

An inconspicuous glass-doored, wood-floored workshop with left side serving station countering a few wood chairs, Bull N Bear’s stainless steel brewing tanks create the superbly stylistic varietal selections, some with an added twist.

My wife and I enjoyed ten sundry selections on a sunny Saturday at noon, September ’21.

The Brewery | Bull n Bear Brewery

Earthen amber-grained minerality surfaced softly for dryly dewy California Common Stock, a traditional steam beer utilizing herbal Goldings hops for a mild English-styled bittering.

Crisply autumnal Von Albrecht Oktoberfest let dewy foliage sweeten its compost-like field graining and brisk red-orange fruiting for simple seasonal splendor.

Raw honeyed spicing slid into mildly embittered hop astringency for Investment Grade Honey Blonde, an easygoing off-dry moderation.

Lemony banana, clove and coriander graced Hedge Fund Hefe, leaving salty Noble-hopped herbal remnant upon its sourdough bottom.

Slightly sweet coriander-spiced orange zesting faded into mild banana tartness and teasing lemongrass-chamomile herbage to set up Wit-Collar Crime, a dryer than usual Belgian-styled witbier.

Sweet ‘n sour orange pureed spicing and Belgian candi-sugared yeast hid musky herbage for Tranche Saison, an efficient farmhouse ale with mild barnyard acridity.

Dryer stylishly, Saint Alphonsus Dubbel plied raisin, plum and prune expectancy to tea-like tobacco roasting and starchy plantain tartness, limiting its candi-sugared tingle.

Sprightly Pyramid Pale Ale tossed dry orange, tangy tangerine, tart cherry and sweet peach at rich caramelized malts, gaining a mild wood parch (reminiscent of West Coast IPA’s).

Sharply spiced tropical fruiting embraced Mango Contango IPA, regaling its tangy mango entry with lemon-limed grapefruit and pineapple tartness as well as wispy peach-papaya snips above turpentined pine sapping.

Wood-burnt dark chocolate, dry hop-charred coffee nuttiness and dark-roast barley malts secured Mackey’s Nitro Irish Stout, a smoothly creamed soft-tongued delight.

LIONS ROAR BREWING COMPANY

Lions Roar Brewing

WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY

In the heart of Westfield, LIONS ROAR BREWING COMPANY became the “Pride of the South Side” when co-owning spouses, Tim and Corrine Grant, opened this rustic cement-floored warehouse nanobrewery during February ’21 as a friendly street-cornered neighborhood pub. Beginning as party-throwing home brewers, their love for Euro-styled beers and beyond proved inspirational as the local community supported the couple’s efforts from the humble beginning.

Fun-loving carnivalesque windowed caricatures line the frontage of this white brick-topped industrial edifice. A large black and white-meshed mural blazes the back wall. The steam pipe-fitted draught lines drawn from the stainless steel brew tanks pour handcrafted product from the right side serving station.

A backyard wood-covered beer garden tent with plastic furnishings offered plenty of outside seating as we grabbed all five available beers this sunny Saturday afternoon, September ’21.

Effervescent light body, La Patria Italian Pilsner, plied honeyed amber graining to lightly lemon-soured herbal Saaz-hopped florality over its mild doughy bread bottom for a smoothly clean finish.

Dryly raw-honeyed phenols secured Where’s The Babysitter Blonde Honey Pale Ale, picking up grassy Noble hop herbage above milled grain flouring.

Brisk lemony orange tanginess and candied tangerine lingered sharply for How Great! Hazy Strong Pale Ale, placating its pale malt sugared base.

Ambitious Fallin’ For Her Autumn Brown Ale bettered its staid stylistic rivals with vanilla-beaned ginger, clove, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg pleating crisp hop foliage and mild toffee sweetness for a French Toast-like dessert.

Not to be outdone, Sleep’s For Losers Cold Brew Coffee Ale utilized creamily milk-sugared Sumatrian coffee to amplify its brown chocolate, espresso and hazelnut influence, leaving mild peppery heat at the mocha-induced finish.

ASHTON BREWING COMPANY

Checking Out the Bad Ash Brews at Ashton Brewing - Brewery | Ashton Brewing Company, Middlesex, NJ | United States

MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY

Meeting out in Denver while touring Colorado brewpubs, the husband-wife team of Steven and Donna Ashton soon settled in Jersey to open a worthy brewery near the heart of Middlesex. Occupying a gray brick Industrial space, ASHTON BREWING COMPANY had its soft opening March ’20 (before Covid hit) but marked its Grand Opening September 18, 2021 (and closed November ’24).

An Ashton Brewing emblem above the overhead door welcomes patrons to the cozy red brick-walled interior (and a neon Taproom sign sits atop the main entrance). The epoxy-floored pub features a six-seat wood-topped serving station and small couched lounge area. A white awning covered the community-tabled front deck.

A cement-floored, back-spaced storage facility included stainless steel brewtanks, a canning line and large cooler. Ashton’s brews ran the gamut from sessionably traditionalist fare to richly creamed nightcaps to Euro-styled lagers.

On Labor Day ’21 weekend stopover, my wife and I imbibed fourteen niftily diversified libations.

Ashton Brewing Has the Right Stuff

Efficient Czech-styled pilsner, Jersey Dreamin,’ let mild dewy mossing seep into orange-oiled lemon musk and floral-spiced Saaz-hopped herbage to its honeyed biscuit spine.

Dewy copper-toned Czech dark lager, Beach Badges, retained a wattle-seeded chocolate roast for its lightly beechwood-smoked barleymalts.

Mossy maize-dried, leafy-hopped, bread-crusted Festus Haggen, an Octoberfest-styled golden lager, stayed crisply clean.

Easygoing That’s How Love Gose activated lemon-twisted Himalayan sea salting for floral-tinged key lime tartness above its straw wheat bottom.

“Mellow’ hazy yellow-glowed Take 5 Pale Ale had Citra-hopped yellow grapefruit, orange and pineapple zesting rise above herb-tinged pine tones contrasting mildly creamed crystal malts.

Toasted amber-grained tobacco roast crisping secured Scarlet Red Ale, leaving red-orange fruiting upon its earthen truffle rusticity.

Tart strawberry candied piquancy gained spritzy lemondrop spark for dry cream ale, Strawberry Alarm Clock, a citric-splashed daquiri knockoff with a cracked wheat base.

Sweetish ‘pink saison,’ La Vie En Rose, provided ginger-backed hibiscus florality for white-wined Zinfandel tannins and distant white peppered blackberry snips.

Butterfly pea flowering provided mild green tea bittering for uniquely hybridized dry-hopped blue velvety farmhouse ale, Stella Blue, caressing white-peppered lavender, floral-spiced blueberry and tart pomegranate over damp barnyard acridity.

An IPA collaboration with nearby Trap Rock, dry beige-hazed moderation, Ash Rock, brought dry Sauvignon grape esters, Hallertau Blanc-hopped white wining and mild grapefruit zesting to delicate oats base.

Brut champagne bubbled IPA, The Other One – Brut, allowed lemony grapefruit-orange zesting to reach the sparkling wine surface above acidulated maize-flaked malts.

Enthusiastic flagship IPA, Your Lips…Are Juicy, plied brisk orange-peeled grapefruit tanginess, buoyant papaya-pineapple tropicalia  and spritzy lemon liming to honeyed pale malts.

Offshoot blood orange-doused NEIPA, Your Lips…Are Bloody!, worked zesty grapefruit, orange, pineapple and papaya tanginess and spiced tangerine licks into its earthen pale malt graining.

Chalky chocolate-dried nuttiness provoked Billy 2 Hats, an extra dark mild English brown ale with caramel-burnt coffee staining.

EAST ROCK BREWING COMPANY

East Rock Brewing Company & Beer Hall – Brewery Ratings

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

On the northern outskirts of town five miles from Yale Bowl or the inner city, New Haven’s EAST ROCK BREWING COMPANY opened in July 2018 and quickly became a splendid cafeteria-like family friendly neighborhood beer hall specializing in traditional German-inspired beers. Inside a cavernous terra cotta-bricked light Industrial warehouse, East Rock’s ample community-tabled 12-draught tap room features a rounded 20-seat bar on an epoxy cement floor with a right-walled “Rediscover Lager” wood emblem celebrating their time-honored Bavarian craft brews.

Co-founding head brewer, Tim Wilson (former quality controller for Jack’s Abby), operates the enormous windowed brewing space at the rear. Serving all of Connecticut since before my initial August ’21 visit, East Rock’s upcoming Octoberfest’s already sold out.

A wood-paneled front deck expands on both sides of the glass-enclosed front entrance. My wife and I grab a few seats outdoors to down four straightforward prospects. I’d already consumed Hopfen Lager and Black Lager two years back (see Beer Index).

East Rock Brewing Company | Visit CT

Dry Helles-styled lightweight, Lager, a cumulous-headed yellow body, let herb-tinged lemon musk, celery-watered fennel seeding and doughy raw-honeyed malts coalesce.

Crisp dewy mossing sideswipes pasty Vienna malt pasting and musky fungi retreat for Vienna Lager, leaving orange-rotted tangerine tang upon its damp-grained truffle earthiness.

Sweet tea-leafed cereal grain crisping, toasted caramel malting and mild orange oiling paced Oktoberfest, an amiable amber lager.

Bright ‘n lively India Pale Lager, Goat Herder, let sharply spiced lemon-peeled grapefruit bittering, zesty orange peel tang and distant passionfruit-pear-watermelon snips gain peaty compost-tinged resinous pining for pungently hop-dried, citrus-dominated medium body.